Wapama Falls
Wapama Falls is the feature waterfall of the Hetch Hetchy area. If you get a chance to see old photos of Hetch Hetchy Valley before it got flooded from the O'Shaughnessy Dam in 1911, it looks hauntingly similar to that of Yosemite Valley. The difference is you have Kolana Rock taking the place of El Capitan, and you have Wapama Falls taking the place of Bridalveil Fall (though it flows with similar vigor and flash as that of Yosemite Falls).
Even as recently as June 2011, despite the record snowpack, we still haven't re-experienced the flooded conditions of June 2002. I believe the cold temperatures (15 degrees cooler than normal) kept the water locked away as snow or ice in our latest visit here. I think in order to get those high flow conditions, you need to have snow (either from high snow pack accumulations or from accumulation in a late-season storm) followed immediately by hot weather. The hot weather ensures the snow melts rapidly and increases the volume and rate of flow. An indicator of how Wapama Falls flows is its neighbor Tueeulala Falls. If Tueeulala Falls has healthy flow, then there's a very good chance the trail will be flooded both at the bases of Wapama Falls as well as Tueeulala Falls.
Overall, the out-and-back hike is about 5 miles. There maybe a couple of stream crossings en route, but they're usually neither difficult nor a hazard. Just bring plenty of water and sunscreen for Hetch Hetchy Valley can easily be hotter and drier than Yosemite Valley. [Back to top]  The car park at the O'Shaughnessy Dam The panorama from the dam during an unusually dreary June (2011) weekend The panorama from the dam (taken in 2003) Going through the tunnel During our June 2011 visit, we noticed these unusual trees that looked like Nature spray-painted their trunks a waxy dark brown Trail skirts the reservoir Trail continues to provide views of the Hetch Hetchy panorama On an open granite part of the trail Talus section as we got closer to the Wapama Falls footbridges Looking straight up at the top part of the falls Looking up from further along the footbridges Heading back from the Wapama Falls footbridges Looking back at the waterfall on the Rancheria Falls Trail. Looking back at the footbridges and both waterfalls under more average conditions (this was taken in June 2011) Same shot but under flooded conditions (this was taken in June 2002)[Back to top] Right to left sweep of the panorama from O'Shaugnessy Dam (taken in June 2011) Right to left sweep of the panorama around Wapama Falls as well as Wapama Falls itself another right to left sweep of Wapama Falls but this is from further along the footbridge L-shaped sweep from the start of the footbridges showcasing the panorama at the base of the falls before sweeping up to the highest part of the falls that you can see from this vantage point
TRIP REPORTSFor more information about our experiences with this waterfall, check out the following travel stories.GUIDEBOOKS / OTHER RESOURCESNEARBY WATERFALLSHave You Been To This Waterfall?
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Perhaps this waterfall is most famous for flowing over the footbridges and granite steps near its base when the snowmelt is highest after a heavy snowpack year. That was the case when we first did this waterfall back in 2002, but we haven't experienced it since. 
The car park for the falls is right before the O'Shaughnessy Dam (see directions below). The trail starts off by crossing over the dam where you can look into the inundated Valley. Then, on the other side of the dam, you cross though a dark and drippy tunnel. But once you're on the other side, you're on a very hot and sun-exposed trail (there may be some rattlesnakes in the brush here) eventually leading to both the base of 
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